“Defenses win championships” feels more relevant than ever after the Seattle Seahawks rode the NFL’s No. 1 defense to a Super Bowl title last season. Seattle had the league’s most suffocating secondary, backed by a relentless pass rush that created pressure from every angle. Now, as the 2026 campaign approaches, teams across the NFL are trying to build the kind of defensive front that can carry them into title contention. That starts on the edge.
5) Giants: Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Arvell Reese
The New York Giants have assembled one of the NFL's deepest edge-rushing groups. With Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, and Kayvon Thibodeaux, New York can attack opposing offenses from multiple angles while rotating fresh pass rushers throughout the game.
Burns remains the headliner after recording 16.5 sacks last season, the second-highest total in the league. Carter quickly emerged as a disruptive force, ranking fifth among edge defenders in pass-rush win rate, while Thibodeaux continued to provide value as a monstrous run defender despite being limited to 10 games by injuries. Although the Giants' defense struggled overall, injuries across the roster prevented them from consistently capitalizing on the talent along the edge.
New York added even more depth by selecting Arvell Reese with the fifth overall pick in the draft. Reese enters the league with rare athletic traits and positional versatility, drawing comparisons to players such as Micah Parsons and Carter because of his ability to impact games from multiple alignments. While he may need to expand his pass-rush toolbox at the professional level, his upside gives the Giants another intriguing piece for an already talented front.
If Burns, Carter, and Thibodeaux can stay healthy, New York has the personnel to field an extremely dangerous unit. Reese's development would only raise the ceiling further.
4) Pittsburgh Steelers: TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig
Defense has long been the foundation of Pittsburgh's success. From the "Steel Curtain" era of the 1970s to the dominant units of the 2000s, the Steelers have consistently built contenders around tough, disruptive defenses. That tradition continues today with T.J. Watt leading the way.
While Pittsburgh's defense was not among the league leaders in most major categories, it still ranked sixth with 48 sacks and finished fourth in turnover differential. Watt remains the crown jewel. The eight-time Pro Bowler won Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 and tied the NFL's single-season sack record with 22.5 sacks that same year. His relentless motor, refined hand usage, and ability to create turnovers make him one of the most impactful defenders in football.
Despite battling a partially collapsed lung and appearing in just 14 games, Watt continued to produce at a high level. Pittsburgh also benefited from the continued development of Alex Highsmith, who recorded 9.5 sacks in 13 games, and Nick Herbig, who added 7.5 sacks while emerging as a valuable rotational threat.
The combination of Watt's star power, Highsmith's reliability against both the run and pass, and Herbig's explosiveness gives Pittsburgh a very versatile edge-rushing group. New defensive coordinator Patrick Graham brings a reputation for flexibility and opponent-specific game plans, which could help maximize the talent already in place. If the Steelers stay healthy and generate more consistent pressure from the rest of the front, this defense could be nasty once again.
3) Jacksonville Jaguars: Travon Walker, Josh Hines-Allen
In their first season under Liam Coen, the Jaguars engineered one of the league's biggest defensive turnarounds, climbing from the bottom of the NFL rankings to a top-10 finish. Jacksonville's pass rush played a major role in that improvement, consistently winning at the point of attack and helping the defense force 31 turnovers, the second-highest total in the league.
Josh Hines-Allen remained the centerpiece, finishing among the NFL's leaders in several quarterback pressure metrics while recording eight sacks. Across from him, Travon Walker continues to develop nicely. While his sack totals did not jump off the page, Walker's ability to set the edge and shut down the run helped Jacksonville finish as the NFL's top run defense, according to TeamRankings.
The growth of Hines-Allen and Walker under defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, who arrived last season from Green Bay, accelerated Jacksonville's defensive resurgence. Their combination of size, physicality, and disruptive play helped transform the Jaguars into an exceptional defense. With Walker signing a four-year, $110 million extension this spring, Jacksonville has locked up a cornerstone defender and should continue to field one of the AFC's stronger edge-rushing tandems for years to come.
2) Denver Broncos: Nike Bonitto, Jonathan Cooper
Few defenses were better than Denver's in 2025. They ranked second in total yards allowed, seventh against the pass, and second against the run. Denver's front was particularly dominant, finishing just four sacks shy of the NFL's single-season team record of 72.
Much of that success came from Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper. Bonitto recorded 14 sacks, using one of the league's quickest first steps to consistently generate pressure off the edge. Across from him, Cooper added eight sacks while establishing himself as a physical run defender whose strength and power complemented Bonitto's speed-driven approach.
Denver's defensive depth also helped fuel the production of its edge rushers. The contrasting skill sets of Bonitto and Cooper allowed defensive coordinator Vance Joseph to move pieces around and create favorable matchups. Interior linemen Zach Allen and John Franklin-Myers frequently collapsed the pocket from the middle, giving Denver's edge defenders opportunities to capitalize on one-on-one situations outside.
The loss of Franklin-Myers to Tennessee could make those opportunities harder to find in 2026. Replacing his interior presence and finding ways to maintain the same level of disruption up front will be among Joseph's biggest challenges.
1) Houston Texans: Will Anderson Jr, Danielle Hunter
Despite offensive inconsistencies, the Texans remained in AFC contention in 2025 thanks to a dominant defense. Houston ranked second in the NFL and set franchise records by allowing just 277.2 yards and the fewest points per game in team history. A lockdown secondary played a major role, but the foundation of the unit was the edge-rushing tandem of Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr.
Hunter and Anderson combined for 27 sacks, the highest total by any pair of teammates in the NFL, with both players finishing among the league's top 10 sack leaders. Their impact extended well beyond bringing quarterbacks to the ground. Hunter generated 85 quarterback pressures, the second-most in the league according to Next Gen Stats, using an elite speed-to-power conversion that has helped him record double-digit sacks in every season since 2022. Across from him, Anderson's rare blend of explosiveness and strength makes him arguably the NFL's most disruptive pass rusher. He set a Next Gen Stats-era record with 48 third-down pressures, consistently forcing opposing quarterbacks into difficult situations when it mattered most.
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